A message written on the sidewalk outside Ellis Hall, next to Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. (Saskatchewan Health Authority/Twitter)

By paNOW Staff

Local unions speaking out against Moe’s lack of ‘backbone’

Feb 8, 2022 | 2:29 PM

It has only been a few hours since Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe’s announced the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and local unions across the province are already speaking out against his decision.

Recent press releases from Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Saskatchewan branch and Saskatchewan Federation of Labour condemn his decision saying they are putting public workers at risk following pressure from trucker protests “despite opposition from frontline workers.”

“Our hospitals are still struggling to care for hundreds of COVID-19 patients. The number of outbreaks in Saskatchewan care homes continues to climb. Nearly 20 deaths among seniors in the last week alone, and our members in the health care and education sector are stretched to the breaking point due to short staffing,” said Judy Henley, president of CUPE Saskatchewan. “It is clear that Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party government is ignoring the medical community and pandering to far-right extremists.”

While everyone is sick of COVID-19, SFL president, Lori Johb, said there is still reasons to remain vigilant.

“COVID-19 still remains a serious health and safety threat for workers…By removing proof of vaccination requirements, workers are at greater risk of contracting the virus.”

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Saskatchewan is now the first province to remove all public safety measures while doing so has now made it impossible for the public to make informed decisions, stated CUPE Saskatchewan.

CUPE Saskatchewan and SFL are both calling on Moe to:

• Scrap plans to cancel public access to PCR testing, daily case reporting and proof of vaccination.
• Ensure proper PPE for all workers, including adequate ventilation.
• Legislate ten days of paid sick leave for all workers.
• Ensure safe staffing levels in our hospitals, schools, and other public services.

“We all want the pandemic to end, but we need to remain vigilant to make sure that workers are kept safe,” Johb said. “Taking the steps we’ve outlined would go a long way to making sure that we are able to be successful.”

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow